Wednesday, July 14, 2010

The million dollar question

"So, are you guys still going to homeschool now that Patrick's hours are daytime again?"

Let's see, he hasn't even started his new job yet and I've been asked that question at least 2,364 times. It's usually asked by those who thought I was off my rocker to begin with, and it's generally prefaced with a little laugh because my children were presently behaving like the little cavemen that they are.

For the record, for EVERYone: No. We are not stopping homeschooling. If anything, this new job will make it easier for us because we can purchase different curriculum and try out other enrichment classes without worrying about every little penny quite so much.

Also: I KNOW my kids can be maniacs! I know that they may have a hard time sitting still to listen or obeying me or absorbing all of the material that is presented to them. Guess what? The same is true in traditional school rooms! How often do we hear about kids who are shuffled through the system? How often do you hear a kid spout off random bits of information from his history lessons just because someone wanted proof that his/her schooling was going well? It's not a disputed fact that public school doesn't always work well for 100% of the kids in the United States!

"What about Corinne? Won't she be going to preschool? Won't she be sad that she's missing out?"

If Corinne (or any of our kids) were sad at home and begging to return to public school, do you really think we'd force them to be homeschooled? But the benefits that they would miss and the things they would be excluded from might cause several bouts of tears. My family will be at the museums and parks when we need a break from regular scheduling. We will be at a weekly group meeting where we will work on creative writing and studying the Middle Ages. We will be attending a weekly Forensics science class where I will be the assistant and they will have hands-on experiences. There will be ballet or tap for Corinne where I will have to drag the boys along (they don't particularly like that activity. Maybe they'd prefer p.s. on that day!). There will be boy scouts and cub scouts and archery class and soccer and hopefully a theater class or two.

We'll be just fine homeschooling, thanks. I've been collecting curriculum and supplies all summer and spend a lot of time watching my ebay bids for gently used books. We have a fabulous group of fellow homeschoolers upon which to bounce ideas off of and commiserate with. We have plans and plans and plans for the year and we'll be just fine.

Me and my youngest milkshake lover

About Me

I am also known as Justanothermom on Twitter and write on my blog, Just Another Mommy Blog. I homeschool 3 kids in the suburbs outside of Chicago and am a Co-Producer of Listen To Your Mother in Chicago.